Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider SkyNRG announced today the launch of Project Runway, a new Book & Claim initiative aimed at enabling companies and airlines to address their carbon footprints by accessing SAF, and supporting the growth of the SAF market.

Alongside the establishment of the new program, SkyNRG also announced that Microsoft has joined the initiative as the founding corporate member and initial claims buyer.

Founded in 2010, SkyNRG focused initially on sourcing, blending and distributing SAF to airlines, and creating partnerships aimed at increasing the supply and production of SAF globally. The company raised $190 million last year in a financing round aimed at supporting its ambition to become a major SAF producer through the development and operation of SAF production facilities, and it is currently developing SAF production facilities in the Netherlands and the U.S.

According to SkyNRG, the new initiative aims to allow airlines to access SAF, and to share the SAF price premium with corporates looking to address their Scope 3 value chain emissions. The book & claim approach allows airlines operating at locations where SAF is not available and companies to purchase and use SAF, even if the physical fuel is consumed somewhere else, as long as it is being used instead of fossil jet fuel. The system separates the physical SAF from the environmental benefits and claims, with a chain of custody system put in place to document the environmental benefits.

SkyNRG will source and supply the SAF for the new initiative, in addition to providing support and education to help airlines overcome challenges and complexities in the early stages of SAF adoption.

Theye Veen, Chief Commercial Officer at SkyNRG, said:

“Project Runway continues SkyNRG’s track record of market leading initiatives and takes the next step towards building up SAF capacity for aviation to meet its 2050 net zero commitment. In collaboration with Microsoft, we’re offering the opportunity for airlines to access reliable guidance, more sustainable fuels and shared costs, ensuring their SAF journey takes off with a strong tailwind.”

Julia Fidler, Environmental Sustainability – Fuel and Materials Decarbonization Lead at Microsoft, added:

“Project Runway will enable a global SAF market transformation that we see as essential to decarbonizing air travel. Microsoft is proud to add this important SAF initiative to its portfolio of support, and thanks to their proven sustainability leadership, creativity and credibility, SkyNRG is the ideal host for on this project.”